Wheel construction



Sept. 12, 1933. G. STINSON El AL WHEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 9, 1931 2770572675. 324, Red. 3% #MM '1,92 ,6 V WHEEL oo'NsrRUoTIoN i V I GeorgeStinson and Selim Fred, Gardner, Mass,

assigncrs to Heywood-Wakefield Company,

Boston, Mass; a corporation of Massachusetts Application F bruary 9,1931. Serial No; 514,645

i 3 Claims. 01. 301-121)" 5 like, wherein it is common practice toprovide the axle, near each end, with a latch'member, adapted to engagea flange on the hub of the wheel, in order to restrain anyendwisemovement of the wheel when it is in place on the axle.

'Heretofore, in the long-continued use of a wheel a so mounted and held,the frictional contact between the rotating hub flange and therelatively stationary latch has resulted in excessive wear of theseparts, with consequent increasing endwise play of the wheel on the axle,which is highly objectionable in the operation and use of the carriageorvehicle. Eventually, either the hub flange, or the overhangingshoulder of the latch member, is worn completely away,this require ingthe complete replacement either of the wheel or of the latch, as thecase may be. According to the present invention, the above describeddifliculties are overcome by a construction which eliminates all wearbetween the latch'and the hub. Other and further objects and advantagesof the invention will appear from the following detailed descriptionthereof, reference being had in this connection to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein- Fig. '1 is a view in elevation of the axle andattached wheels of a go-cart orbaby carriage, showing the use of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, showing thelatch or retainer'in operative relation to the hub of a wheel.

Fig. 3 is, a sectional view on the line 33 or Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrowsf Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, with theparts shown in elevation instead of in section.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

The numeral 1 indicates the usual dead axle of a baby carriage orgo-cart, said axle being 7 preferably square in cross sectionintermediate of its ends, while the wheel-receiving ends thereof arepreferably turned down to a cylindrical form, as indicated at 2, toprovide a trunnion for the rotative support and mounting of a hollow hub3 of each wheel 4. A latching device 5, of substantially the usualconstruction, is provided near each end of the axle; such device, asshown, comprises a plate 6 mounted transversely on the upper surface ofthe axles squared section and providing side flanges 7, 7 embracing thesides of said squared section; secured to said plate is a stem 8, whichpasses slidably' through a hole 9 in .saidaxle' and projects beyond theunder side of the axle to receive a compression spring 10, the

Patented Sept. 12, 1933 r' UNITED latter being retained by a head 11 onsaid stern.

The plate 6, so movably attached to the axle, provides an over-hangingoutward extension -12,

from which depends a downwardly turned latching lip or fiange'lS, whoselower edge is preferably concavely curved, as shown at 14, -By thisconstruction, it will be seen that the latching member 5 provides, inspaced relation to the cylindrical axle portion 2, a downwardly facingshallow channel 15, in which to receive a portion or hange of I n thewheel hub, so as to hold the wheel against endwise movement.

According to the present invention, the wheel hub 3 which fits thecylindrical portion 2 is of special construction, at its inner endadjacent the latch 5. The hub 3 has a hollow cylindrical bearing element17 extending therethrough and projecting inwardly therefrom, the'innersurface of the element 17 providing the rotative mounting of, the wheelon the trunnion portion 2 of the axle. The element 1'7 issecured againstrotation within the hub 3 in any suitable .manner as by spreading orturning over of the inner end of said element against the inner surfaceof the hub. An annular sleeve 19 is firmly secured on element 17 by theoutwardly flared end 20 of the element 7 to hold the wheelin position onthe axle. The

flange is formed of a pair of annular members 25 and 26 which areangular in cross section, one

leg of each extendingparallel' to the axis of the f Wheel, the other legat right angles thereto, the openings in the members being somewhatlarger than the diameter of the member 19 in order to be freelyrotatablethereon, The members 25 and 26 interlock and receive between them thebal1s 23, 23, the outer diameter of the members being such that "when inposition the balls are held securely in thegroove 22, the edges of themember 25 being turned over the angle of the member 26 to preventseparation of said memhere. In order to hold'the flangeZ sthus formedagainst rotation relative to the latch member, a

protuberance or projecting portion 27 is formed latch and holds theflange and latch against rela-.

' a spring-actuated latch" mounted on an axle and having a groovetherein, a wheel adapted to be mounted on said axle and having a flangethereon adapted to engage'with said groove, said flange being mountedfor-rotation relativeto the wheel Fig. 2, with the flange engaging thechannel in the latch. the protuberance 27 engages the tive movementalthough permitting the wheel to rotate. In this way substantiallyall'wear between the flange and the latch is, eliminated, the

friction being taken up in the ballbearing elements. V

We claim, I

1. In combination, a stationary axle having a wheel-retaining latchthereon and a wheel on said axle with a flange on the inner side of thehub thereof engageable with said'latch, and r0 a flange rotatablymounted against endwise movement on said extension for engagement withsaid groove, and a projecting member on said flange'ior engagement withthe locking member.

- 3. A device of the class describedcomprising and a protuberance onsaid flange to engage a portion of said latch and hold said flangeagainst rotation.

GEORGE. STINSON.

' SELIM FRED.

